Solving 50% capacity loss in a solar farm
One of the fun things about working at HyTEPS is solving electrotechnical puzzles that can involve very large and complex installations – such as a new solar park as large as 200 football pitches
“Soon after commissioning of this solar park, electrical equipment began to fail – even leading to fire in a transformer. The solar park was immediately disconnected from the grid. With one of its two 50MW sections out of service, identifying the root cause was vital, because losses can add up to tens of thousands of euros a day. That was the moment HyTEPS got involved.”
“I have been part of this project since day one, and working on it has been great,” says Lead Engineer Seymour Pijpers. “The entire solar park is as large as two hundred football pitches and the panels are distributed across several locations. The first time we visited, we drove from site to site and I was very impressed by its size. During a visit like this, you have to know what to look for, what to take into consideration and what to be careful of, as you’re dealing with very complex problems.”
Solving an atypical puzzle
“This was an excellent challenge for HyTEPS as we’re fully committed to supporting installation managers as well as facilitating the electrical transition. To start with, we carried out Power Quality measurements at the park for several days. These revealed high harmonic voltage distortion at higher frequencies. We then modeled the solar park in power system analysis software and our measurements were used to verify the accuracy of the designed model. Next, we brainstormed and tested several possible solutions. On agreement with the customer, a specially designed filter was delivered through one of our regular manufacturers in Italy. Once the components are installed, we will finalize the project by making sure everything is connected correctly and works as expected.”
“In this project, HyTEPS had to diagnose an atypical problem and define a solution while ensuring quality was maintained. Customer feedback has been very positive.”
“For this solar park project we could partly rely on experience acquired during a classified government project for which I visited Italy. That’s what makes my job interesting; it comes with a big variety in problems, projects and installations. All knowledge and experience gained provides background and input for future projects.”
“In the end we were delighted that we could provide a solution.”
